7.08.2015

Clutter.

That's definitely one of the dirtiest words in our house. Pun intended. For those of you who know me, you know I pride myself in being organized. Nothing gets me as excited as new opportunities to clean out, weed out, and organize because I believe that everything should have it's own place. Now don't get me wrong, since having Harper, I've changed...slightly. Things aren't always in order here in the Holt household, but you can find them semi-straight and semi-where-they-should-be. When things are neat and orderly, my soul is at rest. But here lately, our house has not been free of it's clutter and chaos. Along with the mess, it's brought about one stressed out mama and wife. So it should come as no surprise that my personal goal for this summer is to rid our home of all the excess.


Since moving into our home, there are a few areas that tend to remain cluttered. Our garage being the number one. We still have boxes sitting in our garage that have remained untouched since moving in nearly five years ago. Last year we had shelves added to our outdoor closet so that all of those boxes could be sorted and weeded through and then organized on those shelves. Yet, those shelves still sit empty and those boxes are still lining the walls of our garage. Among our garage, our closets and drawers are overflowing with clothes and shoes that neither Kevin nor I ever wear anymore. And don't even get me started on our guest room closet and hallway closet. Both are filled to the brim with leftover wedding decorations, wedding and baby gifts we received duplicates of and couldn't return , gifts we've been given that we didn't need or necessarily like, things we've been holding onto just because, etc. But this summer, all of that is going to change!

I'm determined to tackle the clutter in our home and get organized so that I can fully appreciate, enjoy, and relax in our home. So here's my game plan:

Step 1: To Keep or Donate? 
My biggest downfall when trying to tackle the clutter in our home is that as I clean out, I want to start organizing right away. But then I run into a problem. I slowly start to accumulate piles of stuff here and there that I've set out to go in this space or that space. Eventually I get so many piles I tire of seeing them so I just shove them in a closed space and forget about them. But not this time. This time I plan to tackle each individual space in our house before ever organizing. My goal is to go through each space and ask myself, Do I love it? Does it hold personal value? Would I buy it right now? Does it have a purpose? If the answers are no, then it'll be heading to Goodwill. If the answer is yes, it'll stay in it's place until step 2. Side note: I see several trips to Goodwill over the next couple of weeks! 

Step 2: Designate 
After getting rid of all the things we no longer want or need, I'll decide where I want everything to go. Fortunately for us, we have tons of storage space in our home. Lots of cabinets, several walk in closets, etc. So upon seeing what's left, I plan to designate certain drawers, cabinets, and closets for specific things. For example, in our laundry room, I already know I'll designate one cabinet for cleaning supplies, one for toilet paper and paper towels, etc. Our hallway's closet will be used for home decor items. And Harper's playroom closet will be used to store more toys. 

Step 3: Relocate
After designating where I want things to go, I'll round up the items throughout the house and put them in the space I intend for them to go. For example, we have cleaning supplies in our upstairs bathroom, under our kitchen sink, and in two cabinets in the laundry room. In an effort to keep them in their designated space, I'll be collecting them all and going on and putting them in the cabinet I want them to be held in the laundry room. 

Step 4: Evaluate + Purchase
Once I have everything where it needs to go, I'll evaluate each space and see if I need to purchase items to keep them organized. For example, will I need containers, jars, more shelving, etc to keep it better organized and easy to maintain? If the answer is yes, then I'll be heading to Lowes, Ikea, Target, etc to gather up the supplies I'll be needing. 

Step 5: Organize
Now comes the fun part! Once I have everything where I want it and have all the necessary supplies, I'll be getting to work and organizing a space I can live with! 

Fingers crossed this project can be tackled within the next month! And of course, as always, if you have any suggestions that may help, I am all ears!


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28 comments:

  1. Eeek I hate clutter too! And unfortunately we still have some since moving in last year which I'm hoping to clear up this summer too! Great tips on how to - good luck!

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  2. I love that quote! I totally have way too much clutter, but I'm working on it this weekend!

    xoxo

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  3. Love these steps! I was just in my "spare room" today, shaking my head at the mess. I need to reevaluate, and this is the perfect motivation!

    xx | Steph @ The Lovely Essentials & Jenssen's Designs

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  4. Clutter is my number one nemesis. Especially in a small home!!! I am working on decluttering too this summer! Wishing us both luck!

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  5. I have a hard time with clutter! I love to keep everything, every single memory! But I've recently been trying to declutterize!

    Ally | http://www.preppylittlelesbian.blogspot.com

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  6. I love organizing and I feel like summer is the perfect time for tidying up.
    Loved these tips -- very helpful.

    xoxo, Jenny || Breakfast at Lillys

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  7. Love the quote you posted! I'm such a pack rat (and whenever I make a big move to a new place, it shows). I like the questions that you ask yourself when you decide whether to keep or donate an item. This will help me to guide my choices, as I usually defer to keeping most of my stuff.

    Alessandra | blog.pumpup.com

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  8. great tips!! I never seem to have much clutter around the house cause my husband's kind of a neat freak but nice to know how to handle it if I do.

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  9. This is so helpful! I also constantly remind myself of how much someone else needs (or would enjoy) the thing I'm giving away. It makes it easier to part with something.

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  10. If I could make an entire job out of organizing peoples homes, I would! I LOVE IT! Bins, shelves, cabinets, they are all my BFF's! Im glad I am not the only one who demands a sense of organization!

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  11. My mom came for a visit in June and made me do the great purge of 2015; I had to go through quite literally every single thing I owned in my apartment to throw it out, donate it, or keep it, and then organize it all. She pretty much had the same game plan you've laid out and its definitely the way to do it. I tend to get too hung up trying to organize as I go which doesn't really work out towards the end, just like you said. You'll feel so much better once everything is in order. It's a time suck, but it's worth it!

    xoxo,
    Meghan
    Southern Belle Secrets

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  12. This is perfect! I recently just moved and it was so refreshing to be able to get rid of old, unwanted belongings.

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  13. I agree - Step 5 is the fun part :) and my favorite! I've moved about 6 times in a year (transferring schools, moving into new apartments, etc) and all of these steps are so important.

    http://thealwaysblog.com

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  14. I am terrible with clutter because I cannot deal with getting rid of stuff - what if I might need it or if it reminds me of something?! But I know I need to cut back! I'm working on it.

    Michaela || The Monogrammed Midwesterner

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  15. I love to organize so I really do find it the fun part. These are such great tips. I think evaluate and purchase is very important for me I always fear of getting more clutter.

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  16. I'm just like you! I get excited to organize and clean. I absolutely hate when there's clutter. It makes me nervous and all edgy! My favorite part is definitely deciding what to keep and get rid of because once I get rid of a bunch of stuff I feel fresh and clean!

    xo
    lauren
    The Fashionista's Diary

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  18. I am in the middle of moving and have been dealing with all of the clutter I have accumulated over the years! I truly needed to read this post! The tips were so helpful when figuring out what to keep/get rid of and how to go about evaluating and what might need to be purchased. THANK YOU for sharing this!

    xo Ashley
    Twenties Girl Style

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  19. I am with you sister! I hate clutter sooo much and I am constantly culling stuff that I don't need and reorganizing like my life depends on it!

    XOXO
    Marie H.
    Progression By Design

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  20. I really needed this post! I've accumulated so much crap due to blogging and am in need of a purge. Thank you!

    xo, Alicia | Alicia Tenise

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  21. I really have to get better with purging. I thought I was bad...and then I started blogging. LOL! There's just a ridiculous amount of STUFF everywhere, and it ends up making me anxious - and I don't need that, either! BRB, off to clean...

    Coming Up Roses

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  22. I need to do a clutter clean up immediately! My apartment is so small that if one thing is out of place, it looks like a mess. I will definitely be utilizing these tips :)

    XX, SS || A Little Seersucker Sass

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  23. I do like an end of summer deep clean in my house to get rid of all the clutter before the Fall starts! i normally resell all my old clothes on this website called ThredUp and then I normally just organize and put all my important stuff into filling cabinets or these little plastic containers.

    Felice Raina { The Kiss Of Joy }

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  24. I feel like I've been throwing away/giving away/selling SOOOO much stuff lately, and our clutter is still out of control. I need to do a crazy purge this weekend. Thanks for the inspiration :)

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  25. I am using the selling approach, we have a huge box of stuff in the garage that just sits there taking space and it irks me, lol, I made the tough decision to suck it up, take images, and start selling!! A great way to declutter, organize, and make some money

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  26. This post is perfect timing since I'll be moving out of my apartment next week and really need to declutter some of the stuff I accumulated this year. I love the idea of having one space for a certain type of thing (like cleaning supplies) instead of a few different places.

    Jenni // The Beautiful Little Fools

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  27. I have a toddler, and it's always hard for me to clean and get organized in my busy life. I totally get what you said that when things are clean and neat, your soul is a rest. I just finished cleaning the living room and honestly, my mind is at ease. lol oh mommy hood!

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  28. I love the quote. I am a person who really likes the idea of organization. I will totally organize my house once a month and then over the course of the next four weeks it slowly deteriorates. I am, by nature, lazy. So I will make a box or a folder for something but I throw it on the counter.

    Bo Tolbert @ HJS Supply Co.

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